What do you guys think....

[boataddict26]

This is my new project. Do you guys think that it will be worth the time and money? I got this 1978 Chevy Bonanza for a pretty good deal. It has a built 350 in it. Was just rebuild a year ago from the ground up. Only 4000 miles since rebuild. It has Hooker headers, Edelbrock carb, intake manifold and valve covers. Dual Flowmasters. The only problem is that the tranny is no good. I found another truck, 1979 silverado that has more rust on the body but nicer things, interior, and brand new glass. It also has a good tranny (350 turbo). It comes with a blown 454.
I am invisoning 3in drop, cowl. induction hood, rims and tires. 14in tread in the back and 8 in the front, posi traction, bucket seats and a killer system. New carpet,
Lifters, cams, rockers ext. And of course paint. Any suggestions on color/scheme? All this can be done. Any body have any more suggestions? And is it worth it?

[boataddict26]

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[boataddict26]

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[airide18]

Your gonna dig deep in your wallet with that project.But will look nice when finished.

[MODVP22]

double check cab corners, rockers and in front/behind fender openings. I have a '86 4x4 and it was bad there...really bad. If you plan on hot-rodding it be careful with the Edlebrok carb , I have a 600cfm Edlebrock performer on mine and it has the 4barrel linkage..not vacume advance..makes things interesting. I have photos of my entire rebuild of mine if you'd like to see some of the bad spots to look for on the body. Good luck :)

[bulldogdaddy]

talk to barefoot bob about trannies,thats his specialty,besides goin over the water with no skis!:D

[Techno]

If your going to do all that work to the 350 then dump it and build the 454. You might be able to sell the 350 since it's new. With all that you mention done to the 350 it won't be what the 454 will be mild.
If you get the posi search for a highway rear end. Trucks and old cars had high numericly rear ends and this is what affects gas milage. New cars have more gears and lower rear ends to give big numbers. Check any car of long ago and today, and todays trucks. Even V-6 trucks have terrible gas milage. They have to pull, cars don't.

With the big block and a reasonable rear end you can have power and milage. Assuming this isn't a work truck and is for driving.

[boataddict26]

ModVP, I have looked this truck over for two hours (seriously) and can find no rust!! The only rust I found was right as you open the driver door on the floor board, but is nothing serious. The bed has some rust but the other truck I found has a nice bed to replace this one with. I could not belive that there was not tons of rust on this thing. These trucks are known for rust. I even scraped some of the paint in various areas to make sure I was not being lied to about this being the original paint. Seems like there is nothing being hidden. This is a 4 barrle linkage too. Why do you say to watch out? I would love to see your pics. of the resto!!
Bulldogdaddy, I may need to talk to him if the trannie in the other truck I got is bad also. Wont know till I get it in there. What is his going rate? Or does he just rebuild? Me and my dad can do a rebuild, but I think these may be beyond that point.
Techno, I would love a 454 but I dont have the money right now for that. Maybe after I run the 350 for a while I will upgrade. How much is a good used 454? I havent even looked around latley. I think the 350 will put out some power when I am done with it. I am still searching for a rear end. If any one knows where I can find one I would appreciate it. I am thinking about checking the junkyard. You never know what you will find out there.

[Capt.Insane-o]

Not to mention it costs about 2-3 times as much to rebuild a 454. I had a nice 350 in my 1/2 ton and it would get 22 unloaded at 70. Mind you I spent a lot of time dialing in the carb (600 Holley) 350 stock pistons, 2.02/1.60 valves, ported and blended, roller cam lift was around .443/465 214 on the duration. Roller rockers, Wiend stealth intake Jacobs ignition. Headers 3 inch exhaust with flowmasters. 2.73 posi rear. Electric cooling fan. I flogged the dog sh&t out of that motor for 100 grand and is still going strong 4 years after I sold it. My first car when I was your age (punk ass) :D had a 454 in it. My punk ass foot kept me broke and riding with my friends. I have a 98 1/2 ton with a 4.3 in it and it will knock down 22-23 hwy. So I must have done something right, not to mention I put together 100 a year or so.................Pull the 454 and keep it around, **** is getting scarce these days! 454's a great and dandy as long as someone else is $$$$$$ing for the gas.

[MODVP22]

I'll have to dig out my photos and scan them this week. I still drive mine everyday..I use it inthe winter a lot cuz it's a snow plow truck too. The linkage 4 barrel differs mainly from the factory quadra-jet because the linkage allows the fuel to dump in by just moving the throttle. On my original engine my quadra-jet 4 barrel didn't ope until the vacume assist made it open. The major difference is that the linkage type will dump fuel into the carb from the dead stop. My tuck (350HO create engine new this past Sept.) will hesitate and stutter if I nail it from a dead stop..but it's fine if I ease into in, then nail it. Just a tid bit of info if you are looking to hot rod it.

[Doubledog]

But the thought of paying for gas makes my wallet run for cover. :eek:

Will this be an everyday ride? Cool points do count but when I ain't got no money for boating, then No way.

I'll have to post a few photos of a '54 Chevy that we restored when I get home.

[YoungStream]

What are you doing in Hungary?

I was there last year for 4 months....great place - and sweeeeeeet women! The party scene in Budapest is unbelievable...If you want I can suggest some clubs to check out.

Timdogg

[Techno]

Originally posted by Capt.Insane-o
Not to mention it costs about 2-3 times as much to rebuild a 454. . 2.73 posi rear. I have a 98 1/2 ton with a 4.3 in it and it will knock down 22-23 hwy. .


Capt.Insane-o I have a few questions for you.
What is the rearend in your "98? & do you have OD?
Did the 2.73 for the 350 have anything to do with milage?
Wondering if what I assume is true and always checking. Rear ends and not engines make gas milage. Slow spinning engines mean lower fuel consumption.

BBs are more expensive than 350s to rebuild but I don't think it's 2-3 times plus all the special stuff you put in that 350 could have been not put in a BB and still put out good power. I'm not comparing putting in a roller cam in both but a hopefully simple rebuild on a "blown" motor. Of course it depends on the blown part. If you add up all the special parts in a hot 350 and don't put those in a BB the cost may- I say may be the same. I would guess the HP would be about the same but torque would not.

MODVP22 Is this carb a double pumper? Has 2 acceleration pumps instead of one and consumes gas at a glorious rate?

[MODVP22]

Techno,
Come to think of it...I'm not really sure:confused: It's a 600cfm Edlebrock Performer 4barrel/ I'll have to look, gonna dig my photos out.

[boataddict26]

The guy was really pushin the 454 and the cam shaft faild. Overall the engine is rebuildable. It will deffinatly cost more to get it running than it will to get the 350 pimped. Still will not have the power, but when I have more time and money I can sell the 350 and upgrade to the 454. I am not woried about gas. I have some friends who have trucks and are always complain about gas!! They are pussys with no jobs!! It is no fun to have a sweet truck and not drive it because of gas milage!! If some one is woried about gas, they need to get a four banger in a volkswagon beetle!! I think my carb is a double pumper. The first and second stage are always open.;)

[airide18]

Originally posted by boataddict26
I have some friends who have trucks and are always complain about gas!! They are pussys with no jobs!! It is no fun to have a sweet truck and not drive it because of gas milage!! If some one is woried about gas, they need to get a four banger in a volkswagon beetle!! .;)

I hate that,they all need to get jobs and use the danm things!!!!

[Capt.Insane-o]

Sure you could put a big block together cheaper, but it would'nt get 22 mpg and run damn near 140. I had less than $2000 dollars into it turbo 350 w/kit and all. Did all of it myself, I get the parts for the right price, and it passed more than a few 454's in drag races. It's not reall worth putting a non roller motor these days, the gains are tremendous, the motors last much longer, plus it ain't the dark ages any more. I don't think he's had the chance of feeding a 454 at the gas pump yet, sounds all great now.......... I have a 474 Pontiac in the same truck now. Aluminum everything, full roller,injected(pain in the ass), Nash 5 speed. I ground the names off the heads and painted everything up Poncho blue. Looks pretty much stock, but will smoke the tires in 4th without hesitation! The best I've gotten with that is 13. The worst was about 4mpg!!:eek:

[Techno]

Double pumpers are mechanical secondaries. You mash the pedal and the secondaries open now. With out the squirt of fuel they would stumble. With the squirt of fuel you consume lots more gas.
I think they generally give a kick in the ass too.

My Vette has a "small block", built a 454 into a 427 since I don't like the ratio and external balance of the 454. My Caddy is also a "small block", 472 instead of the 500 ci. If I was to build a new engine(for the Vette or anything) it would be the 500 Caddy engine with chevy guts. This nets at least a 520 because of the stroking done to get the journals to the chevy size. Nice streetable power. A caddy engine also weighs in 60 lbs more than a chevy SB(350 vs 500). Quite a bit less than a BB.
Everything being relative I don't think my MPG is too bad.
About 14 in the 4:11 Vette and did get 17 with the caddy when it was running better,very rare highway milage. Got 16 going to florida and about 14 pulling my boat back.

The whole reason for getting my STV is no matter what you do or how much money you dump into your car engine the speed limit kicks in too early.

I guess you can tell I'm biased towards Cubies. If merc would stop playing around and produce a decent sized engine I'd be all set.

[MODVP22]

Techno,
yes thats exactly what my Edlebrock Performer 600 does on my truck. I was't sure to be totally honest..I was in such a rush. I know a man who works at Summit Racing (20 minutes away) and he knew his stuff so he sent me this carb with my intake and vavle covers for my 350HO when I put it in.

[sho305]

I know a few people that have 383 stroker 350s. They were real happy with them, even in 4x4s. Did some nice wheelies on the back bumper with a 383 once:D in a Blazer....had a steep little hill to get it started;) If I didn't have to drive it much, I'd go with the BB. Otherwise no way. Put a Mercury 502 marine cam in a 454, it will idle real sweet:cool: :cool:

[Forkin' Crazy]

A dual pumper is just what it says. Just cause the secondaries open does not mean it is a dual pumper. A dual pumper has two accelerator pumps, one for the primaries and one for the secondaries. It will bog if they are not tuned right. Don' get this comfused with a dual feed either..:D which has fuel lines going to both the secondary and primary fuel bowls.

Nothing wrong with a Q-jet. There is a screw on the passenger side along with a socket head set screw that you can adjust the spring tension on the secondary flap and unhook the vacuum pot. You can also drill out the restricter on the pot(or by an adjustable pot) to adjust when it will come in. I like the Q-jet because of the small primaries which give it better low end responce because of high velocity air movement and usually better economy.

If you gear it up, you can defeat the purpose of getting better fuel milage. If you get it too low on the torque band it will take a higher accelerator setting and use more fuel. If you can find a 350 lock up (converter) get one. A little more expense, but you loose converter slip (about 200 rpm), increasing efficiency. These came in '81 model trucks.

I have a '78 truck that I am about to junk out. It has some good parts. If you need something let me know. It has a tight front end.

I think the Eldenbrock carb is a copy of a Carter.

You could always do what I did on my '80 Z28. Add an under hood blower like a B&M. I got 17mph with a Holley 850 CFM compitition series dual pumper and it would run like a modified big block with out all that weight.

If I was going to use a big block, I would get the 500 hp 502 cid. Almost complete for $7000. Not a bad deal.

[Forkin' Crazy]

One more pic. The engine was virtually stock, accept for a small RV cam and headers. It did have a blueprinted TH 350 going into a big 10 with 3.42:1 gears. It would bark the crap out of those 295 50 BFGs going into second. I would shift into third a little over 100 mph and it would even bark the tires going into third!!:eek:

And now you know, I use to be a gear head!:rolleyes:

[boataddict26]

Forkin Crazy.. Can you list all the good parts that are on your 78? I may be interested in some things. I am also looking for some pretty good tires and rims until I can afford the ones I want. That is a sweet looking car!! What does it run in the 1/4 mile?

[Forkin' Crazy]

Some where in the low 13's at a guess. I blew away some cars running honest 13.50's. And that was smoking the tires most of the way through first. The A/C still worked too!:D

Mostly some front end parts and front sheet metal. Might not be worth the shipping if you can find it local. Big block front springs too. From the cab back it is junk. Am keeping the 12 bolt rear with the Eaton posi.